You Are The Everything by Karen Rivers

You Are The Everything

3 Stars

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Date of publication: October 30th, 2018

Genre: Young Adult

Where you can find You Are The Every Thing: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Can you want something—or someone—so badly that you change your destiny? Elyse Schmidt never would have believed it, until it happened to her. When Elyse and her not-so-secret crush, Josh Harris, are the sole survivors of a plane crash, tragedy binds them together. It’s as if their love story is meant to be. Everything is perfect, or as perfect as it can be when you’ve literally fallen out of the sky and landed hard on the side of a mountain—until suddenly it isn’t. And when the pieces of Elyse’s life stop fitting together, what is left?

My review: 

Elyse Schmidt is flying home from a band trip to Paris. Having argued with her best friend, Kath, Elyse is sitting next to her crush, Josh Harris. The unthinkable happens when their plane crashes into the side of a mountain. Elyse and Josh are the sole survivors of the crash. A year after the crash, Elyse and Josh are living in Wyoming, dating, and trying to forget the crash that changed their lives. Elyse starts to notice that her perfect world isn’t as perfect as she thought. There are inconsistencies that she keeps noticing. What is happening to her world? Will Elyse figure it out?

You Are The Every Thing is an odd book. First off, it is written in 2nd person. That is something that I am not used to. I have read only one other book where it was written in 2nd person and like this one, I had a hard time following it.

The other thing that I didn’t like about this book was that Elyse insisted on calling Josh by his full name. Josh Harris. Even to his face. It was cute the first few times that it happened. After that, it got repetitive and boring. And it went the same way with Josh calling Elyse by her last name. I wanted to go into the book and yell “Just call him by his and her by their first name, darn it“. I know, overreaction for a book. But man, it drove me nuts.

I didn’t care for Elyse. I couldn’t connect with her at all. Her actions at the beginning of the book started the ball rolling with that. I couldn’t bring myself to like her after that. I can’t say why I didn’t like her but I didn’t.

There were things that I did like about the book. I thought it was very well written. I loved the storyline. The author did a great job at creating a world around Josh and Elyse that I didn’t question. And let’s not forget the ending.

Speaking of the end, I was not ready for it. I should have known what was going to happen because of the hints dropped in the book. Talk about a mind screw.

I gave You Are The Everything a 3-star review. I thought that the book was well written with a great storyline. But, I couldn’t get past that the book was written in 2nd person. I also didn’t care for Elyse. I also didn’t care that she called Josh by his full name….all the flipping time.

I would give You Are The Everything an Older Teen rating. There is sex (not graphic but is mentioned a few times). There is mild language. There is violence. There are no triggers. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread You Are The Everything. I am also on the fence if I would recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Algonquin Young Readers and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review You Are The Everything.

All opinions stated in the review of You Are The Everything are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read You Are The Everything?

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Dragon’s Shadow by Allison Morse

Dragon's Shadow

3.5 Stars

Publisher: RABT Book Tours

Date of publication: September 24th, 2018

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Where you can find Dragon’s Shadow: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Royal twins ripped apart at birth become reluctant champions of good and evil.

Kylie, a teenage science geek, has no faith in people. Instead, she relies on what she trusts the most, the facts––what she can see, touch, and hear but never feel. With enough pain to deal with in her own world, she is thrust into another––a kingdom at war whose strange inhabitants fear one thing the most––the return of the dragon. All of this is illogical to Kylie, but even more so, when she discovers she belongs there.

Her brother, Prince Jarlon, journeys to kill the dragon who has laid waste to his kingdom. His only hope for destroying the beast is help from his sister, whom he has never met. Will their paths cross before the beast’s malevolence infects Kylie and turns her into his creature or will Jarlon have to destroy her, too?

My review:

Kylie is home on a temporary leave from the asylum that her stepfather sent her to after the death of her mother. She is doing her best to fit into the mold that her school and stepfather wants her to be in. All Kylie wants is to be left alone and study science. Gifted an amulet shortly before her mother died, Kylie cannot figure out what it is. What she finds out exceeds her wildest imagination.

Prince Jarlon is the heir to the Hamadriad kingdom. Jarlon was raised by his uncle, the King after his father was murdered and mother disappeared. Jarlon is part of a prophecy that will start when he turns 18. He is content with learning to be the best swordsman and ambassador at his uncle’s side. Keeping peace between the shinwar, humans, and cortali is a balancing act and Jarlon is becoming good at it. But life has a funny way of throwing curveballs at you. His uncle was killed in an attack on the kingdom and everything that Jarlon had been told has been turned upside down. He learns that he had a twin sister and that she might be the downfall of his kingdom and The Order.  He also learns that if she cannot fight against the dragon’s influence, he will have to kill her. Jarlon sets out on a quest to kill the dragon and save his sister.

I liked Kylie and felt awful that she was hurting so bad after Leora died. Her anger and distrust at Richard came off the pages in waves. I also understood why she had a problem trusting people. How those kids treated her in school was awful. The only one who stood up for her was Matt. I could see why she believed what the Dragon was telling her.

Jarlon annoyed me. He decides to intervene with Tryffin when the crowd was going to send him to jail. He didn’t listen to his cousin when he was told to come with him. Instead, he ran to the King and saw his death. When the Lady of the Eyes decided to show him his past, he fought against it. I thought his ruse to get to Richard by posing as a slaver, with Tryffin as his slave, was good. But he gave the rouge shinwar the directions to the southern cortalis hidden village. I, along with Tryffin,  did a “WTF“. I know he thought he was helping but still. I did think that he was brave when he confronted the Dragon.

The main plotline with Kylie, her amulet and the Dragon was well written. There were some plot inconsistencies that I picked up on that made me go “EH” and scratch my head. I enjoyed the plotline and rooted for Kylie.

The plotline with Jarlon, Tryffin and the quest to find and kill the Dragon was wonderful as well. Again, there were some inconsistencies that made me scratch my head. But they were nothing that took away from my enjoyment of reading the book.

The end of the book was amazing. What Jarlon and Kylie were able to do together was not something I expected. While the main fight ended the way I thought it would, I wasn’t expecting Kylie’s decision. Also, the end of the book, made me wonder if there was going to be a sequel.

I gave Dragon’s Shadow a 3.5-star rating. This book was vividly written with a fantastic plotline. I did find some plot and character consistencies. Other than that, this was a book that I enjoyed reading.

I would give Dragon’s Shadow an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is violence. There are some triggers. They are mental illness and bullying. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Dragon’s Shadow. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. I would give a warning about the triggers.

I would like to thank RABT Book Tours for allowing me to read and review Dragon’s Shadow.

All opinions stated in this review of Dragon’s Shadow are mine.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Have you read Dragon’s Shadow

Love it? 

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An Unlikely Setup (Welcome to Otter Trail: Book 1) by Margaret Watson

4 Stars

Publisher: Dragonfly Press

Date of publication: September 12th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Series: Welcome to Otter Trail

An Unlikely Setup—Book 1

Can’t Stand the Heat—Book 2 (review here)

Life Rewritten—Book 3 (review here)

For Baby and Me—Book 4 (review here)

Where you can find An Unlikely Setup: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Maddie’s teenage crush humiliated her fifteen years ago. Now Quinn runs the Otter Tail pub that Maddie inherited and needs to sell. Too bad Maddie’s high school crush on Quinn is still alive and kicking. 

Quinn wants to buy the pub, but can’t afford Maddie’s price, so he plays dirty. His smile, bright blue eyes, and broad shoulders are just his first bid. As they get reacquainted, they realize someone else has plans for the pub. Plans that endanger Maddie and Quinn – and the rest of Otter Tail. 

Can Maddie and Quinn save the pub? Can they put their past behind to create a future together?

My review:

Maddie has returned to Otter Tail after leaving 15 years earlier. When her beloved godfather passed away from leukemia, he left her a house and a pub. Otter Trail has no good memories for her and Maddie plans on leaving as soon as the pub and house are sold. But she is forced to face those memories when she learns that Quinn is managing the pub. Quinn is the reason she never returned to Otter Trail. Quinn and Maddie are soon at odds over what will happen to the pub. Can Maddie and Quinn get over the past? Will they have their HEA or will everything blow up in their faces.

I enjoy reading books where the hero and heroine have to overcome the odds to be together. An Unlikely Setup is such a book. Maddie had to overcome what happened in the past to be with Quinn. Quinn had to overcome his anger and grief to be with Maddie. Both had a hard time of overcoming past and current hurts to forge a relationship with each other. I loved it. I loved that it showed how hard it is to overcome the past. Maddie and Quinn struggled with it. Quinn more than Maddie.

I did like Maddie and I did feel bad for her about what happened between her and Quinn in the past. I had some of the same issues that Maddie did when I was a teen. It hurts to be rejected like that. But, dwelling on it for 15 years? That was a bit much. And judging a whole town on how their teenagers treated her 15 years past was a bit much too. I did like that Maddie was able to finally reconcile her hurt feelings when she talked to Quinn about what happened.

I wasn’t too sure about what Quinn wanted with Maddie. I was starting to think that he was only doing things for her because he wanted the pub. And that the attraction he had to her was part of his end game. I hate writing that because he did keep me guessing. But after Maddie’s house got vandalized, I realized that he cared for her. I do wish that his “secret” was addressed sooner in the book. I did kind of figure out what was going on but still. It would have been nice to hear about it upfront.

The sexual attraction between Quinn and Maddie was understated at times but when it flared up, it was red hot. I loved the whole scene when she wore the skirt to work. I loved seeing Quinn getting turned on. I loved knowing that Maddie knew what it was doing to him. The sexual attraction gave away to some amazing sex scenes. I had to fan myself after some of them. Sex on the beach in the moonlight? Thank you very much!!

The plotline involving Maddie, her secret, Quinn and the pub was well written. I was surprised by Quinn’s reaction to the naughty secret (you have to read the book). His reaction to her main secret was what I thought it was going to be.  I mean, how else was he supposed to feel? Happy that he destroyed a teenage Maddie’s confidence. His reaction to Maddie meeting with the store rep was a bit much. But I get it. I would have freaked out too.

The secondary plotlines and characters were as well written as the main plotline. I liked how she merged the secondary plotlines with the main one at the end of the book. Also, I liked how the secondary characters added that extra “Oomph” to the storyline.

The end of the book was amazing. I had a huge smile at how everything ended. It was perfect!!

I gave An Unlikely Setup a 4-star rating. This was a fast-paced romance novel. The plotlines were fantastic. The characters were well written. This was a book that I enjoyed reading. I also cannot wait to read book 2!!

I would give An Unlikely Setup an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is violence. There are triggers. They would be the death of a parent/parental figure and bullying. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread An Unlikely Setup. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. I would include a note about the triggers, though.

I would like to thank the author and Dragonfly Press for allowing me to read and review An Unlikely Setup.

All opinions stated in this review of An Unlikely Setup are mine.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Have you read An Unlikely Setup?

Love it? 

Hate it?

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Dragonfire (Dark Kings: Book 14) by Donna Grant

Dragonfire (Dark Kings, #14)

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Date of publication: October 30th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Series: Dark Kings

Dark Craving—Book 0.1

Night’s Awakening—Book 0.2

Dawn’s Desire—Book 0.3

Passion’s Claim—Book 0.4

Darkest Flame—Book 1

Fire Rising—Book 2

Burning Desire—Book 3

Hot Blooded—Book 4

Night’s Blaze—Book 5

Soul Scorched—Book 6

Dragon King—Book 6.5

Passion Ignites—Book 7

Smoldering Hunger—Book 8

Smoke and Fire—Book 9

Dragon Fever—Book 9.5

Firestorm—Book 10

Blaze—Book 11

Dragon Burn—Book 11.5

Constantine: A History—Book 11.6

Heat—Book 12 (review here)

Torched—Book 13

Dragon Night—Book 13.5

Dragonfire—Book 14

Where you can find Dragonfire: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Passion burns hot in Dragonfire, the next Dark Kings novel from New York Times bestseller Donna Grant. 

It was a soul-deep longing, one that got into his bones and settled there, sending whispers of desire through him. The need, the hunger, grew tenfold with every breath. . . .

As a Dragon King, Roman is sworn to protect all mortals–even though they no longer believe in dragons. But deep in the Carpathian Mountains, he discovers a beautiful and mysterious gypsy who possesses the power to see into his very soul. To reignite the fire in his heart. And to help him find the long-lost sword that could save the dragons forever…

Sabina remembers the stories her grandmother told her. Legends of dragons and kings, fire and ice. And she’s never forgotten the dark prophecy that filled her ancestors with fear–a fate they tried to prevent by stealing a Dragon King’s sword. Sabina knows that helping Roman is dangerous. He is a dragon betrayed, and more powerful than any man. He could destroy her in a single fiery embrace. But how can she resist the longing in his eyes–or the feelings in her heart–when their destinies are bound by desire?

Sabina is a Gypsy living with her brother near the Carpathian Mountains. When she was a child, her grandmother told her a story and made her promise to remember it. The story was about a kind Dragon King who’s sword was stolen by her ancestors. Because of that theft, her family was forced to leave their homeland and becoming Romani. She thought it was a legend until she met Roman and Vlad. Roman is helping his friend V find his stolen sword. Traveling to the Carpathian Mountains, they stumble upon Sabina and her brother Camlo. With urging from her brother, Sabina realizes that she needs to help the Kings find V’s sword. Their journey takes them to a mountain in Iceland where V’s sword might be. But there are wrenches thrown into their plans. A mysterious alliance between Druids and Fae threaten their quest. Can Sabina and Roman find the sword? Will they give into their attraction to each other? Or will everything fail?

I was pretty excited to read Dragonfire. I had read and reviewed Heat and enjoyed it. So I figured that I would like this book also. And I did. What I didn’t know was that Donna Grant is writing other series at the same time she is writing the  Dark Kings series. I figured it out when Eoghan and Thea from Dark Alpha’s Hunger were mentioned a few times in this book. As was the Light Elf Queen and the new Dark Elf King. Along with Rhi, Con, Ulrik, and Mikkel. Then a lightbulb went off over my head and I went “No, freaking way“. I am in awe that someone can do that. I have issues with keeping one thing straight in my head. So forget many series of books with many plotlines and characters.

I liked Sabina and Roman together. I will admit that at the beginning of the book, I was a little confused at who Sabina was supposed to be with. And yes, I didn’t read the blurb…lol. I thought it was going to be V for some reason. Because the book started off with the story that Sabina’s grandmother told about him. But once Roman and Sabina met, the sexual attraction and chemistry came off the pages. There was one point when they were in the caves, where I was chanting in my head “Kiss the girl. Kiss the girl” (and no, I didn’t sound like Sebastian from The Little Mermaid when I was saying it to myself).

When they finally did have sex, it was amazing. I will never look at hot springs in the same way again. What I liked, even more, was that the author didn’t let the sexual tension down. She kept it up. Which meant that the other sex scenes were amazing.

I also liked Sabina and Roman as people. They both had gone through some tough times. Sabina’s was losing her mother and stepfather and taking care of Camlo. She had to be strong and wary. Because of Camlo’s disability, she always needed to be on the defensive. Seeing her open up and trust Roman and V was powerful. Roman’s tough times were when he became Dragon King. When he told the story about how he became Dragon King and who he had to defeat, my heart broke for him. But, what made me like him, was his gentleness with Camlo.

I do wish that the author got more into Camlo and Sabina’s abilities. Sabina had the Sight. But what did that consist of? What could she see (other than people being dishonest)? I know that it came into play when she touched V in the cave but still, I would have loved a better explanation. Also, I would have loved a better explanation of Camlo’s abilities. I was also frustrated when it came to getting information out of him. I know that he had the mind of a child but man, that whole scene dragged out when Roman and Sabina were deep in the caverns. What other abilities did he have (other than talking to animals and the Sight)?

The plotline involving V and his sword was amazingly written. The author did a great job at keeping me guessing about where the sword was. Also the neat twist she put in that storyline, I liked. I wasn’t expecting it. But it did explain a whole bunch.

I also liked the storyline with Sabina and Roman’s journey to get the sword. Dangerous doesn’t even begin to describe it. And with the Others magic making it even more dangerous, my heart was in my throat during the entire journey. The end of that storyline had me in tears. But I forgot one thing. Only another Dragon King can kill a Dragon King.

The secondary storylines were good but man, they were vague. Take Con losing the weapon. That was a first for me. What was the weapon? It was something that Con and the other Dragon Kings feared. Because the “Oh Crap” factor went up when V and Roman got the message. The storyline with the Others infuriated me. Why were they doing what they did and how did they know what was going on it the future. Also, the book that Usaeil found in the hidden library. What is with that? And the very last chapter. I wanted to scream with frustration about that.

Like I mentioned above, I wanted to scream at the end of Dragonfire. But, I did like how the author ended or didn’t end the storylines. She ended Roman and Sabina’s happily and gave a hint about who her next book might be about. Which I can’t wait to read!!

I gave Dragonfire a 4-star rating. This was a well written 14th book in the Dark Kings series. I connected with the characters. The plotlines were well written with no lag or dropped storylines. I did wish that more explanation was given about Camlo and Sabina’s powers. And the end frustrated me. I enjoyed reading this book and cannot wait to read book 15.

I would give Dragonfire an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is violence. There are no triggers. I would suggest that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Dragonfire. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Griffin, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Dragonfire.

All opinions stated in this review of Dragonfire are mine.

I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read Dragonfire?

Love it? 

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Spirit of Prophecy: Paranormal and Sci-Fi Crime by J.J. Hughes

Spirit of Prophecy: Paranormal and Sci-Fi Crime

4 Stars

Publisher: 

Date of publication: April 14th, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

Where you can find Spirit of Prophecy: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

What if your past came back to haunt you and stalked the present until it became your worst nightmare? What would you do if you discovered you’re engaged to a murderous psychopath about to go serial?

J.J. Hughes explores the lengths to which we will go, to keep the past from overshadowing the present and destroying the future. Spirit of Prophecy is a highly original, cutting-edge, metaphysical crime mystery with a breathtaking paranormal twist.

Years ago, a terrible atrocity occurred in Apache Indian territory in New Mexico, and now the players take up their positions to execute an act of horrific revenge. If you liked A.G. Riddle’s The Atlantis Gene you’ll love this.

Evil awakens, and Rosetta Barrett, a psychic detective, must settle old scores and heal ancient wounds. She has the highest international security clearance with the Elite Paranormal Intelligence Services [EPIS], but she can’t tell her family or the courts what she really does. Divorce was hell. She lost custody of her children because of her paranormal beliefs, and now she’s fighting to get them back.

Prominent American event rider, Juliet Jermaine, loses her Olympic horse, Gothic, and his rider, Isabella, also dies in a horrific unprovoked road rage attack. Barrett is investigating Isabella’s murder. She has a suspect but gathering sufficient evidence to nail a conviction is proving elusive.

If Rosetta fails to convict the criminal and end the horrific cycle of revenge and retribution, the past is set to explode into the present with dire and explosive consequences.

Time is running out…

Read Spirit of Prophecy and get onboard a metaphysical rollercoaster from the future to the past and back!

Visit the author’s website and get to know J.J. Hughes and her work.
www.moneymagnet.global/booksbyjjhughes

My review:

I was super excited to read this book. The blurb got me going. A paranormal mystery? Sign me up!! I am glad that I read this book because man, it was good.

Rosetta is a psychic detective and a witch. Used to people making assumptions about her, she tries to fly under the radar while solving her cases. The last time it got out that the police was using a psychic, Rosetta ended up losing custody of her children to her manipulative ex-husband. Rosetta is also employed by the Elite Paranormal Intelligence Services (EPIS). Her role with that organization is secret but she does tell people who her job is dealing with karma and past events. Juliet is an Olympic caliber rider who has lost her prize horse and best friend’s sister in a road rage accident. Juliet and Rosetta meet when Rosetta is put in charge of investigating her friend’s sister murder. Who wanted to kill Gothic? Can Rosetta solve the case? Can she also rectify wrongs made over 100 years ago?

Rosetta was a hot mess in this book. The author didn’t even try to cover it up. She was estranged from her children. She smoked too much. She drank too much. She was ghosted by her current boyfriend. Her ex was still trying to control her by how often she saw the children. She wasn’t respected at work because she was a psychic detective. The list could go on. I loved it!! I loved that she was so real. I loved that she was written to be as flawed. I also liked that she was honest about her abilities. That she didn’t hide what she was from people. She was very relatable to me and she became one of my favorite characters in the book.

I didn’t know what to think about Juliet. I felt bad for her because of what she saw. But, at the same time, I was annoyed with her. Her friend’s younger sister died and Juliet was more concerned about her horse dying. That was a big WTF moment for me. I also thought that she was selfish and way too reliant on Matt. She wasn’t going to screw over her best friend but Matt talked her into it. She acted like a child at times too. Like when she found the lipstick in Tommy’s bathroom. They had been together all of 2 days and she is freaking out on him. If I were Tommy, I would have run after that. But, I did like seeing that she did mature towards the end of the book. Again, it was refreshing to see.

I loved how the mystery angle of the book was written. I did figure out who was behind the death of Gothic and Juliet’s friend’s sister early in the book. But I was still able to get into the plotline because the author did a great job of keeping the hints coming. The red herrings and false leads were awesome. I did figure out why the road rage incident happened but was still surprised at how everything turned out.

The paranormal angle of the book was amazing. How Rosetta’s gifts were explained to how she became recruited to EPIS to what happened 100 years ago was fantastic. The author did a fantastic job of connecting everything together at the end of the book. I liked the past life connections that Rosetta, Tommy, and Juliet had to each other.

There was also a romance angle of the book. Of course, Rosetta’s past relationships were highlighted and explained. I felt awful that she was ghosted by Daniel. He could have at least called her and ended it. The whole quasi-triangle with Juliet, Tommy, and Rosetta was a bit weird and awkward but I got over it (as did Rosetta and Juliet). I was also skeeved out by Matt and Juliet’s relationship. Talk about toxic and dysfunctional. I did like Juliet and Tommy together. Rav and Rosetta didn’t gel well in my mind either.

I had mixed feelings about the end of Spirit of Prophecy. Mixed feelings because I was justified by how I felt about certain people in the book. I also was very satisfied with how the mystery angle of the book ended. I did a fist pump and said “Yes” when everything came together. My mixed feelings came in when Rosetta went to New Mexico to oversee something for Juliet. I felt let down. I wanted to see what happened. I wanted to see Juliet’s reaction to everything. I wanted to see Rosetta’s reaction. I also was let down over the fact that after everything, people still felt that they had to judge Rosetta. I am hoping that there will be other books with Rosetta in them. I would definitely read them.

I gave Spirit of Prophecy a 4-star rating. This was a well written paranormal mystery book. The plotlines kept my attention throughout the book. The characters were relatable and realistic. While I did solve the mystery part of the book early on, I was still able to enjoy it. The paranormal angle of the book was fantastic. The author did a great job of explaining things when they happened. I did think that the romance angle was a little much, with all the triangles going on. But, it did add some depth to the book. The end of the book was great but I felt a little letdown.

I would give Spirit of Prophecy an Adult rating. There is sex. While not graphic, it was still there. There is language. There is violence. There are triggers in this book. They would be the death of a child, parental estrangement and abuse of animals. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Spirit of Prophecy. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review Spirit of Prophecy.

All opinions stated in this review of Spirit of Prophecy are mine.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Have you read Spirit of Prophecy?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

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Lakes of Mars by Merritt Graves

Lakes of Mars

4 Stars

Publisher: Self-published

Date of publication: September 4th, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction

Where you can find Lakes of Mars: Goodreads (will update as soon as it is available on Amazon or Barnes and Noble)

Goodreads synopsis:

Aaron Sheridan doesn’t want to live anymore. His entire family had just died in a shuttle crash and he’d been the one flying it. Unable to deal with the guilt, he signs up for the Fleet expecting a fatal deployment to the Rim War, but instead ends up at their most prestigious command school, Corinth Station.

Initially, he’s detached from the brutality of his instructors and the Machiavellian tactics of the other students there, but after he sticks up for his only friend he makes himself a target of the most feared cadet on the station, Caelus Erik. Unsure of whom to trust and worried that anything he does will make others on his flight team targets as well, Aaron retreats deeper and deeper inside himself. However, when he discovers that officer training is not the station’s only purpose, it becomes increasingly clear that risking everything is the safest thing he can do.

Contains: Strong language and some violence

My review:

I am not sure how this book ended up in my TBR. I couldn’t find the email from the author/publisher requesting a review. I also couldn’t find it on my NetGalley shelf. So mysterious. So very mysterious. But it ended up on my Kindle, I am glad that it did because it was a great read!!

Aaron is determined to kill himself. After a shuttle crash that killed his family (he was flying), he doesn’t have a reason to live. He figures the best way to do that is to sign up for the Fleet and be deployed to the Rim War. That doesn’t happen. Instead, he is sent to renown command school. The school was like nothing he had ever seen. Aaron is soon questioning everything as plots and schemes are uncovered. Unsure of who he can trust, he withdraws into himself. During that time, Aaron discovers that the station serves a double purpose. Gathering the few people he can trust, Aaron decides that he needs to risk everything to expose what is going on.

I felt bad for Aaron. The guilt he was living with was unbearable. He needed someone, other than his best friend, to tell him that the accident wasn’t his fault. And therapy. He needed tons of that. As the book went on, I did question if he was reading into things wrong. The author did a fantastic job at making me, the reader, question Aaron’s sanity. I did think that he was losing it at one point in the book. His dreams were creepy. It was after Sebastian’s death that I stopped questioning Aaron’s sanity. I then started questioning what the heck was going on at that station. I also felt that he showed true courage at the end of the book.

I loved the science fiction angle of the Lake of Mars. I had no issue imagining Mars being terraformed or people colonizing it. Same with Saturn. I was fascinated with what was going on in the station and where the other cadets were from. Even the lessons taught were fascinating. Why? Because I had no issue picturing it actually happening.

What I didn’t care for was the violence exhibited in the book. Aaron and the other cadet whaled on each other. That played a big part of Aaron’s distrust of everyone. How can you trust people who turn on you? Even the instructors were in on it.

There is drug use in this book also. I was a little disturbed at how easily the kids in the book were able to get drugs and use them. The adults running the station turned their heads or contributed to it. There was an explanation about why the adults didn’t do anything and it disgusted me. Talk about self-serving.

The end of the book was insane and bloody. I wasn’t expecting what happened to happen when the shuttle landed. I also wasn’t expecting what was revealed when things were out in the open. My mouth dropped. Talk about a plot twist. It came out of nowhere. I was as stunned as Aaron was. I am hoping that the author will be writing a book 2. The end of the book made me think that.

I gave Lake of Mars a 4-star rating. This was a well-written book with relatable characters. I did have an issue with the violence in the book as well as the drug use. But other than that, I enjoyed reading the book.

I would give Lake of Mars an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is some quick kissing scenes but nothing that raised my eyebrows. There is violence. Some of it graphic. There is language. There are trigger warnings. They are drug use, extreme violence, the death of parents. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Lake of Mars. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. I would include a mention of the triggers.

I would like to thank the mysterious person who put this book on my Kindle for allowing me to read and review Lakes of Mars.

All opinions stated in this review of Lakes of Mars are mine.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

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Pandenonium by Sean Farley

Pandemonium

3.5 Stars

Publisher: RABT Book Tours

Date of publication: September 9th, 2018

Genre: Fantasy

Where you can find Pandemonium: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Jackson Armstrong is blessed with an extraordinary memory and a young son who loves him. He is also cursed with a compulsion to gamble that has cost him nearly everything. While chasing another big win, Jackson is killed in a car theft gone wrong and finds himself trapped in Pandemonium, a hellish, urban netherworld where demons rule over man.

Before long, Jackson begins having visions of a mysterious portal. Convinced his visions are the key to escaping Pandemonium and returning home to his son, Jackson forms an unlikely alliance with Lilith, a mysterious demon who has an agenda all her own. As the two are relentlessly pursued by an evil older than time itself, they must navigate their way across a brutal, fantastical landscape and find the portal before it closes forever.

Pandemonium is a dark fantasy adventure that will take readers to the depths of a richly imagined hell unlike any they have experienced before.

My review:

When I started reading Pandemonium, I wasn’t sure exactly how I would like the book. From the blurb, I assumed that this was going to be a retelling of Dante’s Inferno. Yeah, about that. It isn’t. Instead, I read a book about Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, demons and one man who wants to go back to Earth. I did like the book but there were some parts that made me go “WTH“.

Pandemonium is the story of Jackson Armstrong. Jackson is a felon with an amazing memory and a gambling problem. He is sent to Pandemonium when he dies in a car crash. Pandemonium is the place you go before Hell. A type of Purgatory. Shortly after arriving, he starts to have visions of a door. A portal where he can escape Pandemonium and reunite with his son. But, he isn’t the only one who wants to leave. A demon named Lilith wants to go back to the Garden. The two must form an uneasy alliance if they are to find the portal and escape. Can they do it? Can they escape Pandemonium?

Jackson was not a likable man. From the minute he was introduced in the book, I found him distasteful. I like that the author wrote him as not being likable, though. It made reading the book more interesting. Because I didn’t know if I should want him to reach the portal or not. The author did put a neat spin on his character when Jackson’s father appeared in the book. I got to see how Charlie shaped Jackson into what he was alive. By the end of the book, I was feeling a little sorry for him. Only because of his father. Other than that, I didn’t like it.

I loved what the author did with Lilith. He didn’t bother to touch the lore behind her. Instead, he made her into her own person. Loved it. He did reference who/what Lilith was but stopped it at that. I liked that Lilith did have some humanity in her. She could see how Charlie treated Jackson. She saw how Jackson was shaped by his father into what he was. It made her more relatable.

I do have to mention Jackson’s memory. It was amazing. The things he remembered. When I realized exactly what his father stole from him, I was angry. Jackson could have gone places with that memory of his. Instead, he was held back. Made me want to reach through the book and smack his father.

The plotlines in Pandemonium were ok. The main one definitely kept my attention. I needed to see what would happen to Lilith and Jackson. I needed to see if they made it. I did have an issue with the plotlines involving Mr. Cloot and the Pecado. Both of them creeped me out. The Pecado more than Mr. Cloot. I do wish more depth had been given to the Pecado storyline. Where did it come from? Why was it sent to Pandemonium? Where there more of it?

I do want to mention that this book is very violent and there is a descriptive scene of attempted rape. Normally, I am not bothered by violence but in this book, I was. The things that the demons did to the humans were awful. The things that the people did to each other and themselves were even worse.

The end of Pandemonium wasn’t what I expected. I was surprised by what happened. It was out of character for that person to do what they did. I was left asking more questions, though. What was going to happen to that person?

I gave Pandemonium a 3.5-star rating. I did like the book. But I felt that it was almost too violent at times. It was well written with a fast plot line and well-developed characters.

I would give Pandemonium an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is extreme violence. There is language. There are triggers. They are attempted rape. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread this book. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank RABT Book Tours for allowing me to read and review Pandemonium.

All opinions stated in this review of Pandemonium are mine.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Have you read Pandemonium?

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The Wizard’s Gift by Michael Waller

The Wizard's Gift

4 Stars

Publisher:  RABT Book Tours

Date of publication: June 29th, 2012

Genre: Fantasy

Where you can find The Wizard’s Gift: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

The last of an ancient group of wizards leave a gift to the newly arrived race of men. It is revered and cared for by a line of priests until it is stolen, and the high priest and his sovereign murdered by a king who believes himself destined to be a great wizard. But from ancient writings, the high priest had discovered that the gift is not benevolent as was thought. This forces the son of the high priest unexpectedly elevated to his father’s position, and the young prince who is equally suddenly king, into a race to find the gift before it can be used as that may cause the destruction of the world. Accompanied by the retired captain of the palace guard they hope to speed their journey by crossing the Wasteland, a seeming desert, which is fabled to be populated by monsters, and from which no visitor has ever returned. In the course of their adventures, they are hunted by dog-faced men and captured by slavers, but the young prince truly becomes a king, and the priest discovers that he has a destiny that goes beyond the bounds of his world.

My review:

The Wizard’s Gift starts off with an ancient wizard leaving a gift to the men (and women) of the region where he lived. Telling the King of the area that the battle-ax was a good luck talisman, the wizard goes off to die in an enchanted land. The people with whom the battle-ax (and a few books) were left with came to revere and worship the gift. All was well for centuries until one of the priests of The Wizard’s Gift decides to sell out his people to a wizard king. It is there where the story begins. 4 men set off on a quest. One on his own and three together. The single man is determined to find the wizard king. He wants to make him pay for killing his King and razing his city. The other 3 men are also in pursuit of the wizard king. They want The Wizard’s Gift back in their city. It is their quest that is chronicled. A newly minted King, a retired Captain of the Palace Guard, and the High Priest of Bianmares. One of those three men has the destiny to fulfill. Can he survive to fulfill it?

I am going to warn you all, this book starts off slow. There were a few times where I almost DNF’d it because I was getting frustrated at how slow the plot goes. If you read this book, keep soldiering on. The plot gains speed after Caran Tuith buries his father. This is also a longer book, about 321 pages. Usually, I can read a book that length within a couple of days. But, I have been sick and couldn’t concentrate on the book long enough to read it. So, it took me 3-4 days to read it.

My only complaint about the book was that the formatting was wonky. I went from a larger font type to small font type. Also, at one point in the book, there were lines between each paragraph. Which stopped after a couple of chapters. It did get annoying after a while. That did affect how I rated the book.

Other than my complaint about the formatting, I loved the book. The characters were complex and well fleshed out. The author did a fantastic job of character building with them. I connected with everyone but King Premendis and Strantor. I didn’t like him. What they did to Caran Tuith’s father and people were unforgivable.

The world building was awesome in this book. The author took his time building up each area. I had no problem seeing The Wastelands and its inhabitants. Or Bianmares. Or where the mountain men lived.

The plotlines were the same way. Vivid and descriptive. I did have an issue with some of the bigger words but it was nothing that a highlight on my Kindle could solve. I loved that there were no storylines left up in the air. The author also did a great job at bringing all the storylines together at the end of the book.

Speaking of the ending, it was insane!! From the escape from The Wastelands to what Bataan did. I am hoping that the author is going to write a sequel to this book. Because I would 100% read it.

I gave The Wizard’s Gift a 4-star rating. This was a fantastic read. The character and world building were amazing. I did have an issue with the formatting and that did affect my review.

I would give The Wizard’s Gift an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is mild violence. There is no language. There are no triggers. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Wizard’s Gift. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank RABT Book Tours for allowing me to read and review The Wizard’s Gift.

All opinions stated in this review of The Wizard’s Gift are mine.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Have you read The Wizard’s Gift?

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Black Diamond Fall by Joseph Olshan

Black Diamond Fall

4 Stars

Publisher: Polis Books

Date of publication: September 18th, 2018

Genre: General Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Where you can find Black Diamond Fall: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

From the acclaimed author of CLARA’S HEART and CLOUDLAND comes a rich, literary mystery based and united by two real events that occurred at Middlebury College; the disappearance of a student during winter break; and the vandalism of the Robert Frost Homestead on one of the outer campuses.

Luc Flanders has just finished playing a game of pond hockey with his college roommates when he realizes he has lost something precious and goes back to the ice to find it. He never returns, and the police department in Middlebury, Vermont are divided in their assessment of what may have happened to him. Some feel that Flanders left on his own accord and is deliberately out of touch. Others, including detectives Nick Jenkins and Helen Kennedy, suspect that harm may have come to him. As the search for Luc Flanders widens and intensifies, suspicions about several different people, including his Middlebury College roommates and ex-girlfriend arise. Unfortunately, Sam Solomon an older man with whom Luc has had a secret relationship, cannot prove his whereabouts during the hours when the younger man may have disappeared and Solomon, too, comes under suspicion.

BLACK DIAMOND FALL is at once a lush, evocative literary novel, a portrait of love between a younger and older man, and a riveting mystery that could only come from the mind of acclaimed writer Joseph Olshan.

My review:

Luc is a college student who had finished playing a pickup game of hockey with his friends. Realizing that he lost the class ring of his boyfriend, Luc goes back to find it. He disappears. Sam, Luc’s older boyfriend, comes under suspicion when he cannot provide an alibi for the night he disappears. Hurt in a skiing accident, Sam goes back to Vermont to recuperate and cooperate with the police in Luc’s investigation. What happened after the hockey game? What happened to Luc? Did Sam have something to do with it? Will Luc be found alive?

When I started reading Black Diamond Fall, I thought it was going to be a wham-bam-thank you ma’am mystery. You know the ones that it is obvious who the killer is from the beginning. That isn’t the case here. The author did a fantastic job of keeping exactly what happened to Luc that night under wraps until the end of the book. I was surprised at who it ended up being. Because that person wasn’t on my radar at all. I thought it was the other person that the police kept questioning. To add that twist added to my enjoyment of the book.

I liked how the author interwove Luc wandering around the woods with the police investigation. I was mentally going “Check the darn woods” everytime they brought Sam or Luc’s friends in for questioning. Saying that it was frustrating is an understatement. I also wanted to reach through the book and give Luc some food and a blanket. That was frustrating to read too.

I wish more insight was given into Luc and Sam’s relationship. What they had seemed to be true love, even though they broke up right before Sam went away on his trip. Their relationship was one of the more realistic ones that I have read lately.

I liked how the police investigation didn’t focus on one person. Instead, they had a sizable pool of suspects to question. What I enjoyed about that storyline was how the officers went about narrowing down the field of suspects. I mean, who would have thought that Robert Frost’s Homestead being vandalized would lead to a clue about what happened to Luc. I also like how they caught the person.

The end of the book was bittersweet. I am not going to say much beyond that. The author did a great job of wrapping up all the plotlines. He left nothing hanging. I am hoping that more books will be written with Sam as the main character. I did like him.

I gave Black Diamond Fall a 4-star rating. This was a great read with characters that I could connect with. The plotlines were wonderfully written. The mystery angle kept me on the edge of my seat.

I would give Black Diamond Fall an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is language (some homophobic slurs). There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Black Diamond Fall. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Polis Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Black Diamond Fall.

All opinions expressed on this review of Black Diamond Fall are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

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The Storyteller’s Throne by Jocelyn Bates

The Storyteller's Throne

2 Stars

Publisher: Independent Book Publisher’s Association, Member’s Titles

Date of publication: April 24th, 2018

Genre: New Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Where you can find The Storyteller’s Throne: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Grace was born a storyteller with a beautifully brilliant mind. Trauma twisted her reality into a tale of darkness. Now, at eighteen, Grace has found herself on the shores of a shadow world created to heal a generation. A world whose purpose is to release our emotions from the bonds of youth.

But she is not alone. It’s a world inhabited by others, those working on their own hearts and one other like herself. An amazing and yet afflicted empath and musician by the name of Kai that Grace feels inexplicably drawn to.

Will she be able to handle the suppressed memories of her youth? Accept the vulnerability necessary to explore her own heart and that of another? Fulfill the true purpose it seems she is destined to serve?

Come along with Grace as she learns to uncover her past, harness her gift, open her heart to love and embrace her future.

My review:

I was intrigued when I read the blurb for The Storyteller’s Throne. A woman, scarred by traumatic events that happened in her life, finds herself in a world that can help her heal. It caught my interest. I wanted to know how this world would help her heal. I also wanted to know who Kai was and why Grace had such a connection to him. So I decided to read the book. For the most part, I liked the book. But it was the direction the book took towards the end that made me go “WTH” and give it the rating I did.

Grace’s story disturbed me. She was raped by someone when she was 6 years old. I didn’t like having to read about a 6-year-old being raped. I understood why the author chose to have Grace react the way she did to the rape. Her unresolved feelings led her down a road of self-harm. But once she got into the Shadow Lands, she was forced to face and accept what she went through. But, then her story took a turn that I didn’t expect. Her romance with Kai wasn’t expected as was her traveling into the future. I will get into that later in the review. I couldn’t connect with her.

I felt bad for Kai. His story was different from Grace’s but it was also similar. Kai didn’t speak. He could speak but chose not too. He chose to speak through his music. His entire life, he had been compared to his older brothers and fell short. Falling into addiction, Kai ends up in The Shadow Lands the same time as Grace. I would have loved it if the author kept his character on that path. Instead, he went down a path where he fell in love with Grace. It almost seemed like an obsessive love, to be honest. He was more relatable to than Grace but I still didn’t have a connection.

I would have been fine with the book if it hadn’t gone into an anti-medication rant. Then Grace went into the future. There the adults were medicating themselves and the kids to keep them easy to manage. But the minute that mental health medication was blamed for the kids being zombies, I went “Oh no. This book didn’t go there.” That affected my rating.

Also, I didn’t like that there was Instalove. Instalove is fine in some books but in this one, no. I couldn’t with this book. I also couldn’t deal with Grace and Kai having sex. While I understand that it was healing, it didn’t do it for me.

The end of The Storyteller’s Throne confused me. I am not going to get into it but there were several situations that made me go “What!!” and “How on earth did she not know that?” and “Well, chaos didn’t happen, so now what“. None of the storylines were wrapped up. Which either was an oversight or the author is planning a book 2. I was left unsatisfied with the ending.

I gave The Storyteller’s Throne a 2-star rating. I could not connect with any of the characters. I would have been OK with the book if it hadn’t turned into an anti-medication rant. And there was Instalove.

I would give The Storyteller’s Throne an Older Teen rating. There is sex. There is violence. There is mild language. There are triggers. There are child rape, self-harm, and drug use. Also, there is a strong anti-medication for mental illness in the last half of the book. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would not reread The Storyteller’s Throne. I also would not recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Independent Book Publisher’s Association, Member’s Titles, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Storyteller’s Throne.

All opinions stated in this review of The Storyteller’s Throne are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read The Storyteller’s Throne?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

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